Shadows of the Soul
by MarvelMatt
Summary: How do you help redeem a man that doesn't think he can be redeemed? How do you save a man who thinks it's too late? If a man is born in darkness, how do you bring him into the light? With his admitted revelation, the team grapples with HOW to save Grant Ward, or even if they can? Hints at GW/S, S/LH, LH/BM and GW/BM. Full team involvement. AU from S2.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

* * *

><p>Almost like a ghost, he sat silently with his book as he watched his former team members walk by, each one talking animatedly as they passed him on their way to a team lunch. He had been invited to join them, but as usual he politely declined when Agent - No - <em>Director<em> _Coulson_ (he reminded himself) had asked him to join them. He was hungry, but not starving. He would wait.

Coulson was one of two agents on the base that was constantly friendly towards him. Triplett and Fitz would say "Hi" before moving on, and on certain days Tripp would join him in the gym for a workout and offer to spar with him.

They never did - he wouldn't risk the ire of everyone else just because Triplett couldn't beat him, or if he lost control again. He only sparred with one partner.

None of the others had even noticed when the Berserker rage returned to him, complete with orange-ness, and for that he was _very _grateful.

Then again, none of them really cared about him enough to take notice.

Picking up his novel, 'The Art of Racing in the Rain', which had been given to him to read by Coulson, he headed towards the gym.

All of the novels he was given had similar themes, his current one was about life, love, loyalty and hope. He almost scoffed at that last part. He'd read a quote once, 'Hope is being able to see the light despite all of the darkness'.

He lived in the darkness, he had been born into it, he hadn't seen the light until he was a man, and the light was called Skye.

She despised him now too.

After outing his own brother as a public face of HYDRA, Coulson had decided to place him on community service of sorts. He went on the more high-risk missions that couldn't have an extraction plan, and Coulson didn't put him back in a very tiny cell.

It was fairer than what anyone else would offer him. He'd even stopped killing, only using ICERs or his fists.

Not that it mattered to anyone else.

He'd later read another quote and written it down to remember, 'Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man'. He'd never heard truer words.

Simmons, May and Skye had all threatened to kill him several times, so much so that he'd refused to go to Simmons for medical attention. Not that he needed the help, whenever he'd been injured for or by Garrett he'd been the one to patch himself up, not John.

It hadn't been a problem until Coulson caught him digging a bullet out of his shoulder in his bathroom.

He'd dragged him to the med-bay and watched as he forced Simmons to patch him up, watching to make sure the job was done before allowing him to disappear to his room.

By his room, they meant Vault D with some furniture added, it had been nearly a year since his last suicide attempt, so they had decided to give him some basic amenities, and removed the security cameras. He even had his own bathroom.

He entered the gym and headed in, nodding to the room's only occupant. Barbara 'Bobbi' Morse, AKA 'Mockingbird' was one of S.H.I.E.L.D's staunchest agents, and she was the fourth and last person that tolerated him on base. He'd even go as far to count her as a friend.

She was the only other person he was glad to see. They often sparred together, because unlike Triplett, she was able to put up a much better fight. Outright she couldn't beat him, but she used twin batons against him, so the playing field was fairly level.

She was also the only reason he got angry anymore.

When he'd found out that Skye was sleeping with Hunter, it had hurt him, but he managed to maintain his cold demeanour. It seemed the two of them wanted to get a rise out of him, because they constantly attempted to throw it in his face, only for him to remain cold on the outside, while internally screaming.

Neither of them noticed the effect it had on Bobbi, who was evidently still in love with her ex-husband.

Neither of them noticed the pained look that appeared on her face when they were making out in the lounge, or the wistful look she had when Skye was sat on Hunter's lap, or the time Hunter had told Skye he loved her, and she looked as though he'd punched her in the gut.

In fairness, he hadn't felt much better.

So that was how they'd found themselves taking their frustrations out on each other, they weren't sleeping together, though there had been several close calls (he'd later seen her and May in an argument, he couldn't help but feel it was over him), they just found themselves in the gym together on occasion, and found themselves trying to beat the crap out of each other.

Today, as usual, she sent one last strike towards the bag she was working on, before steadying it, picking up her batons and moving towards the sparring mats. They bowed and she attacked, he always played defence against her.

Not that she minded.

Swinging both of them towards his head, he brought up both arms to block them off, raising his knee when she aimed a kick towards his ribs.

She followed up with a double spinning kick combo that he easily side-stepped, swiping her legs out from under her.

She collapsed the floor, using the force to kip-up back to her feet, frustration on her face, as she swung with a double overhead strike.

He side-stepped her strike and placed his hand on her stomach.

"Dead", he said simply.

Dropping her batons into her bag, she placed it over her shoulder and headed out to join the team for lunch.

He headed over to the lockers and entered his code, keeping the black vest top on, he swapped out his jeans for sweat pants and taped up his wrists and ankles, before activating the LMDs that were reserved for training.

If he'd bothered to look, he would've seen Coulson giving him a worried glance over his shoulder.

Instead, he focused his effort on demolishing the three targets in front of him, each one decked in the standard HYDRA specialist gear, and each one with a different weapon.

Coulson just left before he was spotted, as Ward moved onto the punch bag, finding solace in the rhythmic pounding onto the bag, and the mesmerizing way it swung back and forth.

…

It was after he'd eaten dinner on his own, ignoring the scathing looks that Skye and Simmons sent at him as he fiddled with the oven, that he headed for Coulson's office, and knocked before waiting, hands behind his back in the 'at-ease' position.

Once a specialist, always a specialist.

He waited for a minute maybe, before the door opened, and Melinda May walked out, with her usual poise and gave him a look that could kill the weak-hearted.

He'd been through too much to be frightened by a look.

"Enter"

He walked in to see Coulson sitting at his desk, a small smile on his face as he saw who entered, and took the offered seat.

"I take it the rest of the team doesn't know Sir"

"Doesn't know what Agent Ward?" His tone accusatory.

"Your shirts buttoned incorrectly Sir"

Glancing down to find that he had in fact missed a button on his shirt, he smiled apologetically before righting himself, and assuming his usual position.

"What can I help you with Agent Ward?"

"I have a request Sir"

"And what would that be?"

"Time off"

"Agent Ward?"

"Sir it's … it's nearly been a year since … since", he trailed off, composing himself, and Coulson noticed the scratching he was doing to his wrist, "it's nearly been a year Sir, and I know there wasn't much left, but I'd like to bury it - him. I'd like to bury him".

Coulson watches him as he mulls over the idea. He notices the scratches he's given himself and flinches involuntarily, before moving his sleeve to cover them up. His long sleeved -shirt barely covering him.

Coulson noticed the movement, including the flinch.

"Permission granted Agent Ward"

"Thank you Sir. Permission to leave Sir?"

"Dismissed Agent Ward"

…

The quinjet lowered to a near silent stop on the outskirts of a woods in Wyoming, and the rear lamp lowered itself to the ground.

He stepped out into the crisp clear air, bag slung around his shoulders, and took a deep breath, his memory assaulted by memories of a younger version of himself with Buddy, waiting patiently for the day when John Garrett would return and teach him to be a man.

He almost pitied younger him. _Almost._

He began to walk.

He walked until his feet began to hurt, and then he pushed aside the feelings of pain and continued to walk.

Looking around him he saw shadows of himself in his younger days. Teaching himself to free-run through the trees, manoeuvring around nature. Playing with Buddy, bonding with his best friend, before he was lost. John teaching him how to fight. How to shoot, and how to survive.

John's lessons were always painful, his first lesson in fighting left him with broken ribs and a sprained wrist. His first shooting lesson left him with a bullet graze on his thigh. He'd later had broken fingers and his left shoulder to add to that.

He followed the trees, the way he had when he was younger before he arrived at his destination. A small clearing deep in the woods. In the distance he could see the lake as well as a few wood cabins dotted about.

He dropped to the floor, almost sighing in relief against the very same fallen tree that he had based his camp around almost twenty years ago.

He pulled the bag from around his shoulders and placed it on the ground next to him, while he began speaking.

"I've only got two days before I have to head back, or Coulson will have my head", he laughed a bitter laugh as he pulled a bottle of scotch from his bag.

"I err … I never told them about you, you know, well … not all of it", he sighed, pulling a dog's bone from the bag to join the bottle, which he popped open and took a rather large swig from, "the scotch is your favourite by the way", he said, drinking again.

"They still think that we met at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy, that you converted me when I was a rookie"

He took another smaller swig, savouring the taste.

"I never could tell them everything … some of it was too personal John"

He began to dig a small hole, while continuing his personal monologue.

"I hate you … not because of what you made me … made me … I'm not an idiot John, I know what you did to me … Stockholm Syndrome … abuse … even cult ideas … I hate you because you left John. You … fucking … left"

He stopped, breathing heavily, before he reached out, beginning to dig another hole.

"I remember being that fifteen year old kid, in juvie, going to prison … from an asshole family, not strong enough to help my brother and sister, and you … you got them out when I went with you, and you … you … YOU ABANDONED ME OUT HERE FOR FIVE FUCKING YEARS! FIVE YEARS WITH ONLY A DOG TO SPEAK TO BECAUSE YOU NEEDED A FUCKING WEAPON! "

He stopped again, trying to regain his composure, fighting the tears that threatened to spill, attempting to calm himself down.

"And … and the worst part … the worst part was that I knew you didn't care … I nearly killed FitzSimmons and May … I killed thirteen S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents … I was going to bring Skye to you … Skye … I loved her you know … I thought about letting you go to the Fridge for her, but, but I just couldn't and I wanted to … I really wanted to … but I guess you'd gotten to me for too long"

He chuckled darkly, "I tried to tell them … the team I mean … but they were all so convinced that HYDRA was incessantly evil … I couldn't … Fitz still trusted me, but it nearly got him killed"

He stopped again, before dropping the dog's bone into one of the holes and the gold urn into the other.

"The sad part though John … the reason why I will never find redemption … for Thomas and Rosie … I'd do it all again. I'd let you do it again"

He said the last part as barely a whisper, his greatest secret laid out in the open, as though scared he would be struck down.

Placing the dirt back over the miniature graves he'd dug, he stood up pouring the remaining scotch over John's.

"Coulson … Coulson believes that anyone can be saved if you get to them early enough … I wish he'd gotten to me sooner"

He stood up, dusting himself off as he did so, before placing the rocks in his bag over the graves, and beginning the long walk back to the quinjet, only stopping to read the engravings.

_John Garrett_

_Mentor, Friend and Hero_

_May he rest in peace._

_Buddy_

_The best friend a guy could ask for_

"I miss you Buddy"

…

At the secure S.H.I.E.L.D. Base code named 'The Playground', Director Phil Coulson and Commander Melinda May looked up from viewing the camera sewn into Agent Grant Ward's jacket.

The heartbroken expression was mirrored on their own faces. _What had they done?_

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><p>Please leave a review and let me know if I should let this be a one-shot or a small story<p>

-MarvelMatt


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

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><p>"What do we do Mel?"<p>

"Honestly Phil. A few days ago, I would've said lock him up and 'lose' the key. Now … I have no idea anymore"

…

The quinjet lowered itself into the hangar, coming to a complete stop as it de-cloaked. The wheels touched down, and the rear ramp lowered itself.

Pulling his leather jacket on, he cut off power to the controls, before turning and making his way towards the rear of the quinjet, where he had to stop himself from recoiling in surprise.

Melinda May was waiting for him.

"Follow me"

Her usual death-look that she reserved for him was gone, if he didn't know any better, he'd say she was almost soft, and that worried him.

_The Cavalry_ didn't do soft.

At least, not with him.

She led. He followed, ignoring the stares from everyone else on the base, they all seemed so … _worried _… as he passed he made note of everyone staring at him, Triplett, Mack, Fitz, Simmons, Skye, Hunter, Bobbi, the only one missing was Coulson.

That question was answered when they turned onto one of the sleeping wings, and he immediately stopped.

Coulson was stood outside one of the quarters, watching as he stopped before entering the corridor, May took several more steps before turning to see that he wasn't following her, she looked towards him in confusion, when Coulson spoke up.

"Agent Ward, permission granted"

Almost robotically, he continued his walk behind May, unaware of the worried look that crossed her face, until they drew level with Coulson, who turned and headed into the room, the other two following him.

…

The room itself was very basic, white walls, light beige carpet and basic furniture; there was a bed, a desk, some drawers, a wardrobe and a bookshelf, which was lined with some of the books Coulson had made him read. The wardrobe was open, and filled with standard S.H.I.E.L.D. Specialist clothing, including several leather jackets, that looked a lot like his.

They _were_ his.

And so were the books.

Realization dawned on his face, as he turned towards Coulson and May, a small smile on his face while hers was carefully blank, his own face had a small sliver of surprise on it.

"Mine?"

"Yes Grant", he registered Coulson's use of his first name, "you undertake the most high-risk missions that we have to offer, without an extraction plan on most of them. In fact, on nearly all of them. You've come a long way towards regaining the trust that you lost a year ago, and our way of showing that is by giving you your old room. Triplett moved all of your things from Vault D into here"

They leave him in his room, and he just sits on the edge of the bed, which is much softer than the cot he was given in his cell. It's almost too soft, but he appreciated the gesture.

People stop by to say 'welcome back' after his three day absence, and he's happy to see them.

It's Triplett that comes first, two beers in hand. He's noticed the time of the year, and figures out what it means to him. He might've been HYDRA, but in a way, John Garrett was responsible for his own survival. They raise a bottle to him, drinking in silence, before he hands a small package to him.

It's a picture taken on the day that Triplett was given Garrett as his SO, which was the same day Grant became a fully qualified specialist. They're all in their finest suits, both he and Tripp on either side of Garrett. The three of them are smiling. He thanks Tripp who leaves.

He stares at the picture until Fitz and Mack appear, so he hangs it on a loose nail on the wall. They've brought him a new watch, apparently designed by them for emergency cases. When activated it will let out a small EMP burst, Fitz tells him, quite proudly.

Neither one notices him flinch.

Simmons stops by to call them both back into the lab, but lingers enough to shoot him a look of pure loathing. Not that it bothers him anymore.

Not much did.

It's almost the time when he eats dinner when Bobbi shows up. She's brought him a fern, because apparently his life 'needs more life', before she joins him on his walk to dinner.

The entire team's waiting there, apparently someone (Coulson) had decided that the team needed to interact more, and had then ordered that everyone eats together daily, with someone different cooking every day.

He ignores Hunter's comment about him poisoning them all, while some of the other's glare.

If he had wanted to kill them, they'd already be dead.

Coulson and May take the ends of the table, while Simmons, Fitz, Skye, and Hunter sit one side, and he, Bobbi, Triplett and Mack take the other.

If anyone notices that he sits across from Fitz on purpose then nobody says anything, but Coulson shoots Simmons a warning look when she turns to glare at Ward, before she recedes it.

Dinner itself is a mile past awkward.

He smiles and laughs at a few of Coulson's jokes. He remains polite and passes what's asked of him, he ensures that he says 'please' and 'thank you', and then he does the dishes alone afterwards, while everyone else disperses.

He finishes the dishes, placing them into their respective storage places with the same meticulousness that he has when he folds his socks during his weekly washing.

_I really was the perfect specialist_, he muses, and John's level of training just shines through him, he's always going to be the perfect weapon. Especially now.

He places the last plate in the cupboard, wipes his hands and empties the sink, before hanging the dishcloth on the oven. He spots Fitz, Mack and Tripp playing a shooter on the Xbox, while Simmons watches on with a disapproving look on her face.

He enters the corridor to see May and Bobbi making their way towards the lounge, until he steps out from the doorway he doesn't see Hunter leaning against the closest wall, a small sneer crossed with a derogatory smirk on his face.

"You're pathetic, you know that? Pining over the same woman that you tried to kill, I'd pity you if you were worth it"

_"__You're worthless to anyone but me kid. Remember that"_

"Do you miss your precious John?"

His fist clenches, and he looks down to see the vein in his hand glowing a faint orange, he stuffs it into his jacket pocket, before anyone notices. He notices the increased pace that May and Bobbi have taken, and he tries to walk away.

"What's worse? Knowing that John would sell you out at the drop of a hat, or that because of that, I'M the one that gets to see what Skye-"

He's cut off by a fist in his face.

It's not Grant's though.

It's May's.

Bobbi seems torn between helping him, and staying out of it.

He doesn't wait, he just tries not to sprint as he heads towards the gym.

Tripp and Fitz are in there, working on basic weights, while Simmons is watching appreciatively.

"Get out"

His voice is deep and harsh, and to be quite honest, he'll feel bad at the look of sadness on Fitz's face later, but right now, he's too angry to care.

Simmons is yelling at him, telling him it's not his gym, but a look towards Tripp had him shepherding the two scientists out of there.

He wastes no time changing his jeans for shorts. He places his headphones in, forgoes his wrappings and starts swinging at the punch bag wildly with no thought to technique or training, just the rhythmic one-two of his jab-pullback-cross combos.

That's exactly the same position that May finds him in over an hour later, the rage still written on his face. She taps him on the shoulder, and he turns to punch her in the face.

Almost like last time, she sidesteps and blocks his arm, her eyes sharp, almost hawk-like.

"How long?"

He doesn't answer.

"How long?"

"Two months"

"With me. Now!"

She walks, he follows.

She marches him into the med-bay, Simmons looks afraid of him, he is still seething and panting, while May rummages about before returning to him with a small sedative. She preps the needle, Simmons watches intrigued, before injecting it into his bicep, he feels relief spread through him.

"Better?"

For the first time in … well pretty much ever, he hears concern in her voice.

"Yes. Thank you"

She nods, and he feels the usual fatigue setting in, so he heads for his bed, before collapsing there.

May waits ten minutes, to allow Ward to pass out, before she calls for an immediate team meeting in the lounge.

Simmons looks curious, but she follows May to the lounge, where the other members of the team are currently assembling themselves.

Fitz and Mack are just putting the Xbox away, while Triplett is finishing making some sort of snack in the kitchen. Bobbi and Coulson appear at the same time, followed by Skye and Hunter, the latter sporting a very nasty purple bruise and gash on the corner of his mouth.

She has to suppress a smirk at that.

They all sit on the circular couch, while May and Coulson stand. Her in front of them and him behind them. Standard briefing tactic.

"We need to talk about Ward and what happened earlier today", she shoots a very venomous glare towards Hunter, while everyone else looks confused, and Coulson decides to speak out.

"What happened?"

"Hunter decided to try and goad Ward in the corridor after he'd finished the dishes earlier this evening"

"Well that's not Lance's fau-", Skye stopped when she saw the glare that Coulson was sending in her direction. Coulson _never_ glared at her.

"What all of us have failed to realise is that Ward is suffering from effects of the Berserker Staff. His anger, strength and stress levels have all skyrocketed. The only reason he's asleep right now is that I had to sedate him, and even then, the sedative only calmed him down enough to let his energy crash"

"How do we get him to normalize, Simmons?"

"Honestly Sir … I have no idea, what do you and he use last time to calm down last time Agent May?"

"Sex. Very angry sex"

"Oh, well I suppose that's off the table"

"It is"

"Then I honestly have no idea what to do without taking constant readings off him"

At the back Coulson sighed, rubbing his forehead in his hands, "well, for now, Agent Triplett, can you stay with Ward wherever he goes? I want you in the same room, on the same missions and even training at the same time"

"I can do that Sir"

"Good. Come with me. Everyone else is dismissed"

…

"What I am about to show you Agent Triplett is … quite frankly it's disturbing … you are to tell no-one about it. Only myself and Agent May know the contents of this video. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sir"

Coulson plays the video, stepping away from the screen allowing Triplett's full attention to be given to the Hell that Ward had endured. Near the end, May steps into the room, as silent as ever, not moving until Ward leaves the gravesite. The specialist loses his composure when the man turns around to whisper, _"I miss you Buddy"._

May takes the seat next to him and Coulson returns to his desk before Tripp finds his voice.

"It all makes so much sense now"

They share a look, as Triplett continues to look towards his hands, pain reflected on them. _Pain at what?_

"What makes sense Tripp?"

He clears his throat, "when I became Garrett's rookie, he was always comparing me to Ward, and telling me how much better Ward was, and what Ward would've done … one time, I missed a shot at my target and he escaped, he slapped me before dragging me to the range at the Hub, he gave me a list of weapons and scores - Ward told me later that they were his - and he had me there for sixteen hours … I couldn't even break a single record"

"Ward was that good?" May can't keep the surprise out of her voice.

"Yeah. He's the only person to have scored higher than Hawkeye, but he never registered his scores. I never could figure out why, I mean he would've jumped to Level Eight with those scores and I couldn't figure out why he wouldn't … guess we know now"

"You're dismissed Agent Triplett, if you would move into Ward's room for the time being"

"Yes Sir. Can I ask, Agent May, what did Hunter say to him?"

"He threw his relationship with Skye, and the fact that Garrett's dead in his face"

Triplett growled, "That asshole!" Even Coulson looked murderous at that, but Tripp wasn't finished, "he even goes around saying that he loves Skye when Grant's in earshot, but I heard Skye saying it was just sex. It takes a special kind of ass to do that"

Muttering under his breath Triplett headed to gather his things while Coulson turned towards May.

"Is it possible that Hunter and Skye are responsible for Ward's 'relapse'?"

"It's possible"

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know Phil. I don't know"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

If anyone has any ideas of scenes/situations/conversation topics that they would like to see please leave it in a review or a PM

Please leave a **REVIEW**

For those that enjoy Grant Ward redemption stories and slight team bashing (VERY slight), please check out my Agents of SHIELD: Knight Series (Book 3 now up!)

-MarvelMatt


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

><p>Awakening near to midnight, Grant reached out with his senses to notice that Triplett was asleep near him, and that he wasn't in his cell.<p>

He was on a soft bed, with some natural light in the room, and the air flow was different. This wasn't Vault D, and he wasn't currently in a hotel or on a mission.

Then it all came back to him.

The room. The bed. Even every little visit and the room warming gifts, but at the time he hadn't noticed the problems.

The bed was too soft for him.

Months of sleeping on the floor of his cell, as well as the hard cot made sleeping on the plush mattress rather uncomfortable.

He knew Tripp would want to follow him, but he didn't want to wake the sleeping man, so crossing the room silently, he left his new room and headed for his old bed in Vault D.

He walked the corridors with a practiced silence, the directions known to his body even in his groggy state. He actively avoided the corridor containing the gym, knowing that his body would force him to enter. He unknowingly passed by Skye, who followed his, a wary suspicion in her eyes.

Her suspicion increased when he stopped outside of Vault D, and entered the security code, before he slinked down into the S.H.I.E.L.D. high security vault.

She watched as he crossed the deactivated barrier and threw his body onto the cell's bed.

The hardened cot was almost like a dream come true, strange as it sounds, the toughened layer comforting his tensed up muscles in an unknown way, and he fell asleep almost immediately, with no pillow and no duvet.

Skye remained at the top of the stairs for several minutes, before succumbing to her own tiredness and heading for her own room.

That was exactly how Coulson and Triplett found him in the morning, with amused expressions on their faces, but a small look of knowing as they left him to get dressed. He was flat on his back, with one arm over his chest and the other behind his head. Straightening himself, he walked straight passed them, and headed for his bunk, hoping a shower would loosen him up.

It didn't.

That then became routine or several weeks until he was able to sleep fully in his room, while Triplett seemed to have become his roommate and guardian, following and watching him, when no one else was around.

He couldn't tell if it was to watch him, or protect everyone else.

Or was it both?

…

The Saturday it happened was the same as any other Saturday. The team went about their normal duties. FitzSimmons were in the lab, with Mack working on the SUVs. Triplett worked with Skye on their computer skills (Tripp mostly watched). Coulson and May worked in his office, and Hunter went with Bobbi to the shooting range.

Ward was in the gym. Punching. Again.

Since a physical release was seemingly off the table, he spent more and more time attacking the bag. He'd started sleeping naked just to try and release the extra heat that his body was producing, which also prompted Triplett into moving back into his own room, across the hall from Ward.

He was also receiving daily sedative injections just to keep him calm, and Coulson had taken him off of the active field roster for the time being, hoping not to set him off.

If anything, it made him feel worse.

Shrugging off his shirt, he picked up a kendo stick, activating three LMDs with the same weapon, and proceeding to swipe at them.

He never even noticed Bobbi's appreciative look as she and Lance passed by the gym.

She never noticed Lance's ever so slight frown.

Afterwards, he'd notice her looking at him slightly differently, but he wouldn't figure it out.

…

Ward had fallen asleep on the couch after an extra sedative slipped to him by Skye caused him to near collapse, and while Coulson and May had reprimanded her, they were all glad when he stopped the constant growling he unaware he was doing.

Coulson and May were having herbal tea when they first heard it. It was quiet but it was definitely a whimper. It was similar, in sound, to the whimper of a small child, which led to the problem.

It came from Ward.

The big, rather handsome, perfectly muscular and extremely dangerous specialist was whimpering in his sleep.

They watched, prepared to wake him, as one of his hands covered his chest, and he murmured "No John", before May shook him awake, both her and Coulson with decided concern in their eyes, and asked him what was wrong.

He shrugged them off as he headed for his room. The smell of strong alcohol and the feel of the gentle caress of John Garrett lingered in his mind. Sleep would not come easy that night.

Not that it came easy anyway.

…

Coulson looked up from the large screen as Ward and Triplett entered the briefing room. Triplett dropped onto the couch in between Fitz and May, the rest of the team were already seated, with the only available seat next to Skye.

Ward remained standing.

If Coulson cared, he didn't say before he began the briefing,

"Now that we're all here, I'll start", tapping on the holographic keyboard, he brought up an aerial picture of a large building, "we've recently discovered a new HYDRA Base near New Mexico, one of Hunter's freelance contacts discovered it"

None of them noticed Ward stiffen slightly when the picture was brought up, all too focused on Coulson's briefing.

"As such, Hunter has been preparing a strike plan for several days, and I've decided that we're going to take that base from them. Hunter?"

He stood as Coulson asked, before bringing up the same aerial image with several numbers drawn over, as well as several lines.

"Okay guys, here's the plan, Skye and May will take up position here, with Triplett and myself here and finally Coulson and Mack here"

"Mack?" Coulson asked, the confusion clearly written in his face, "why not Ward?"

He ignored the sets of eyes that turned to his carefully blank face. The hand inside his jacket shaking.

"Do we really want him there?"

His hand shook harder, so he grabbed his wrist to stop it being noticeable, but Coulson noticed.

"Ward will take the place of Mack in your mission plan. Agent Mackenzie is not a field agent"

"And the HYDRA traitor is?"

His other hand was starting to feel twitchy.

"Use his name Agent Hunter, or I'll have you demoted back to level one". The calm steel in his voice sent small shivers through several of the agents present, before Hunter nodded, and turned back to the briefing.

It was the closest thing to an apology that he was going to get from Hunter.

That wasn't the only problem during the briefing between the two of them.

While Hunter was perfectly happy to take advice and questions from everyone else that was present, he ignored him and then took to speaking over him, not allowing him to make the biggest point of the briefing, so he resigned himself to waiting and trying to prevent his hands from shaking as they began to take on a slight orange glow.

Only when Hunter had finally finished talking, and Coulson resumed his position at the front of the room did Ward attempt to get his point across.

"Are there any more questions?"

Which he did by raising his hand like a school child, which grabbed everyone's attention.

"Yes Ward?"

"That entire plan's a waste of time, Sir"

Hunter, Skye and Simmons scoffed, each muttering insults towards him under their breath, but they were silenced by a glare from May.

"Why so?"

"Because the entire plan is essentially us sneaking up on the base, which doesn't take into account the motion detecting weaponry mounted around the base, and even if we disable that, they'll notice, which makes no sense when there's an emergency escape tunnel that will be left unguarded. We should enter through there and take them from the inside Sir"

Hunter, who had sobered up under May's glare, scoffed again, "and how do you know it's unguarded?"

With his face as impassive as ever he replied, "Because I helped build it, and the only other person who knew about it was John Garrett"

…

With Ward's new revelation about the base's defences, the mission briefing had changed into Ward, Triplett, May and Bobbi trading ideas until they had a genuine plan of attack for the mission. They'd had to completely scrap Hunter's plan, and the British man had then spent the rest of the time pouting.

Yes _pouting._

He was apparently unhappy that Ward had hijacked his mission, and when he'd tried to take control, he'd come face to face with several angry stares from several members of the team. Bobbi seemed to have taken his slights him personally, which he found confusing, though if it was Skye against Bobbi, he supposed he'd be annoyed too.

When they'd come up with a satisfactory plan for the mission, Coulson released them for the day and Ward headed to the gym before his hands started hitting themselves.

It was close to dinner when Triplett came to remove him from the gym and sent him for the shower with a small sedative in hand. Not small enough to crash him, but enough to allow him to feel more relaxed than he was.

Dinner itself was tenser than usual, May had cooked, or rather prepared, a light salad with several meats and cheeses present on the table. The food itself was excellent, and several of them told her.

Hunter spent most of it glaring at him, while Skye observed, like it was a tennis match, between the two of them.

But when the meal was over, his tension had returned, and so he returned to the gym, whilst the younger team members decided upon a movie night.

_Jab. Cross, Duck. Uppercut._

What was Hunter's problem with him?

_Jab. Cross, Duck. Uppercut._

Seriously, he was the one who had Skye. The one everyone trusted. Why did he go out of his way to try and make his life hell?

_Jab. Cross, Duck. Uppercut._

He even went around attempting to throw his relationship with Skye in his face. He'd learnt to live with pain a long time ago, so it didn't bother him, but it hurt Bobbi, and that pissed him off.

_Jab. Cross, Duck. Uppercut._

"What did the bag ever do to you?"

He stopped, steadying the bag as he turned to face the source of the voice, as Bobbi was crossing the room towards him.

"I've had an idea"

He cocked his eyebrow, the question 'what?' written on his face.

"You need to work off some of your excess frustration, and I want you to help me with mine"

She said that last part as she raised her t-shirt over her head and dropped it to the floor.

"The rest of the team are watching some stupid kid's movie, we're BOTH", she indicated the two of them, "in love with two people that seem to hate us at the minute"

She stepped forwards, helping him to remove his own shirt.

"So why don't WE, help to loosen each other up. Nothing that involves feelings, as we aren't romantically attracted to one another, but casual sex"

Any argument that he may have formed disappeared when Bobbi jumped onto him, his hands automatically finding her rear as her legs wrapped around him and they smashed their lips together.

Neither noticed Skye leaving the gym with tears in her eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

Just a heads up, the rating will probably go up to M, as I possibly may write about sexual abuse between Garrett and Ward.

PLEASE leave a review.

And check out some of my other stories - review them too, as the more reviews a story gets, the more I focus on it compared to the others.

-MarvelMatt


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

><p>The entrance to the facility was hidden through some very thick terrain, mostly consisting of trees, large grass and overgrown plants. Small sword in hand, Grant Ward lead the way with six S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents following behind him.<p>

Everyone had noticed that Skye was the one stood directly behind him, with one hand resting on her ICER.

Sending one last swing at the overgrown plant in front of him, he returned the blade to its sheath, before raising his t-shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow, not noticing the approving glances the three female agents sent his way, as the shirt rode up to reveal his well-toned abs.

Stepping into a small clearing, the others filed in after him, as he began to remove some of the moss that was covering the small hatch, while the others moved into a standard protective circle around him.

It didn't take long for enough of the moss to be removed, so that he and Triplett could wrench open the small hatch. Tripp dropped in two glow sticks, which lit up the bottom of the shaft and the ladder at the side.

Ward dropped down first, followed by May as the rest of them climbed down the ladder, before they headed out down the small corridor, Ward in front and Coulson covering the rear, everyone else in single file between them, treading carefully through the narrow tunnel. Only the light from May's torch was guiding the way.

He stopped abruptly, with May slamming to an immediate stop, but she couldn't stop everyone else from walking straight into her, causing her to bump into him.

Placing one hand on either side of the steel reinforced wall, he lowered his head down to the retinal scanner the side of the wall. His shoulders hunched as he met the height he'd placed the scanner - ideal for John Garrett, for him, not so much.

There was a faint hiss as the steel door opened itself, before Ward stepped out of the corridor and into a small empty room. Stepping clear of the threshold, he scanned the surroundings as May entered the room, her eyes making the same sweeping movements as his own. Satisfied, she gave the order for the others to enter the room.

Triplett was the first to drop down, in a standard defensive position, followed by Hunter, Skye, and Bobbi with Coulson covering the rear. Each of them guarded Coulson as he pushed the door back into its normal position, and with a small hiss it snapped shut.

They stacked up against the door, as May pushed it open and Triplett moved in.

The corridor was empty.

Moving as a cohesive unit, they swept through the corridor, scanning for threats as FitzSimmons kept a check on them through the comms, and Mack was attempting to access the base's security cameras. Triplett pulled open the door to a secured lab and Ward burst in, ICER raised, prepared to take down anything that moved.

The lab was empty.

The rest of the team joined him, staring in wonder at the abandoned lab. Some of the equipment was still there - the medical gurneys and surgical equipment lay about obviously unused in a long time, but the rest of it - the medicines and drugs were gone.

Lastly, as Hunter entered the lab, the security door swung shut behind them, and locked with a very audible 'click'.

The entire team began to panic as a knockout gas began to filter through the air vents, slowly filling the room. Triplett, Hunter and Ward began pulling at the security door, but not even the strength of the three of them could get it to budge. The knockout gas was removing Ward's excess strength and the other two were barely standing.

Eventually none of them could fight the effects any longer and collapsed, leaving only Ward still standing, until he too fell to the effects and passed out.

…

He heard the indistinct murmurings as he became aware of the cold feel of metal handcuffs around his wrists and the aching in his arms told him that they were suspended above his head. He attempted to move, only to find his wrists mostly locked in place, he only had about six inches to move them horizontally, but the motion was enough for the cuffs to jangle and alert whoever else was in the room.

"WARD!?"

He opened his eyes and identified Skye as the source of the shout, but she wasn't the room's only occupant. While he had his hands suspended from the ceiling, with his ankles free, the rest of the team had their wrists and ankles cuffed together and joined to a metal bar that ran around the square room.

Skye and May were on his left, Bobbi and Hunter were on his right and he span to find Coulson and Triplett behind him. Before he could begin to help them form a plan the door burst open and a standard HYDRA agent walked in, followed by Alex Davidson, an old friend of Garrett.

At six foot three inches, with his crew cut blond hair and blue eyes he had the perfect look for HYDRA. He entered the room, sweeping his gaze across the captured S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents with a critical look, before his eyes settled on him and a large smile broke across his face.

"Ah Mr Ward! It's been far too long!"

He growled in response.

"I see Garrett never did manage to smack enough manners into you"

Davidson let out a small chuckle when he noticed May, Coulson and Triplett pale slightly at his joke.

"Enough catch-up. You Mr Ward, as a former HYDRA agent will give my interrogating friend here everything you know on S.H.I.E.L.D. including current plans and bases of operation"

"Or?"

"He'll extract it from you. You may be able to withstand the torture, but can your friends stand hearing you scream"

"I don't have friends, and these lot will probably enjoy it"

Most of the team now looked outright ill at Ward's statement, but Davidson seemed unconcerned as he motioned for the interrogator to begin. It was then he noticed the table that had been wheeled in behind them.

He felt the cold sting of the ice water on his skin, jerking him into complete awareness, as his interrogator pulled out a car battery and clips. Banging them together, he attempted to frighten Ward by banging the clips together, electricity dancing between the two.

He wasn't impressed.

Clenching his teeth together to bite back the screams that threatened to escape from his lips, the burning sensation coursing through his nerves, setting fire through his limbs and then it was gone. His tensed up muscles relaxed and he slumped down, the metal handcuffs biting into his wrists.

He felt his anger build up before it was replaced with more pain, the residual effects from the knockout gas seemingly keeping his Berserker rage at bay, the pain was preventing him from focusing on it clearly. His anger was no good without him being able to focus.

The pain left him again, panting for air he struggled to use his legs to stand, trying to take the pressure of his wrists. Not noticing the horrified stares of the team around him, as the strongest of them struggled to stand.

The interrogation continued for some time, the pain lasting longer and longer each time. The ability to stand becoming harder and harder, his nerves remaining on fire, before Davidson called off his attack dog for the day, leaving the room.

He was aware of the others calling his name, but he ignored them for now, his wrists were in pain from holding him up, so he grit his teeth and pushed down his pain, before bringing his knees together and straightening his legs. Standing up straight, ignoring the looks of incredulity on the faces of the team, he began to pull at his restraints, attempting to free himself from the pipe and handcuffs above him.

He was too tired to make any real progress, he needed to get angry and he needed to do it fast.

"Piss me off"

The murmurings that were happening around him ceased as he locked eyes with Coulson.

"Get me angry"

As if a switch had been clicked in to place, realization hit Triplett, and he began hurling abuse towards him, throwing out words like 'traitor', 'slave' and 'back-stabber'.

Shaking out of their reverie, the other members of the team began to yell, he heard the terms 'monster', 'inhumane' and 'soulless', all increasing his anger, but he'd become so used to it that it wasn't enough. The overlapping shouts were just melding into one large noise. Something must've shown because everyone stopped.

"Grant"

He looked up into the blank face of his boss, as Coulson looked at him without any hint of an expression on his face.

"You remember when I told you that Deathlok had killed Garrett after Skye freed Ace?"

His rage struggling to bubble up, he nodded.

"I lied. He survived and made it to the Deathlok machine"

His face must've given something away, because Coulson smirked, showing delight in what he was saying.

"The clairvoyant survived everything, until I hit him with 0-8-4 from Peru, and you want to know the best part?"

He was smiling now.

"The Clairvoyant never even knew it was me who killed him"

Coulson had started to chuckle by now, causing the others to worry about him, until he started to really laugh.

With a roar that would terrify most people, Grant Ward shattered the bonds holding him up, to the great relief of the team. Relief that was short lived when he crossed the room and lifted Coulson into the air, with his hand around his throat.

He growled aloud, "I'll break you in two"

The looks of relief became glances of fear, as Coulson's face began to turn red. Shuffling over, Triplett placed his hand on Ward's arm, trying to placate him as Coulson was getting redder.

"Hey, come on, remember Buddy? He wouldn't want you to do this"

Staggering as though he'd been punched, he lowered Coulson to the floor and released him, letting him gulp in some much needed air, before he threw a punch with all the strength he had.

The metal bar they were handcuffed on bent, before snapping completely.

Coulson was the first one to step off, and towards Ward, who pulled the hand and wrist cuffs off, only leaving the metal bands on his limbs.

Triplett followed him in the same action, before heading to the door and beginning to pry it loose.

Hunter was the next off, followed by Bobbi. The British specialist headed to help out with the door, as May and Skye were the last two off.

The two of them had managed to loosen the door slightly, but it was Ward's excess of strength that managed to remove it from its hinges.

The two guards on the outside never had a chance to react as Ward sent two strikes to the side of their necks, and the dropped to the ground unconscious, but the removal of the door had set off an alarm.

Soldiers began pouring into the corridor, their own ICER based weaponry at the ready, and they began firing.

ICERs didn't seem to affect Ward in the slightest. His utter rage was fuelling him, and the fury and the adrenaline was too high for their weapons to be able to handle.

Reaching the combatants first, he started dropping bodies to the floor with well-aimed strikes, throwing the weapons behind him, as the group of specialists started firing into the fray. Within moments, HYDRA's forces had been disabled.

Pushing on they began to head out of the base using the same method they had to get in, only pausing to takes shots at other HYDRA personnel. They headed past an engineering room and towards the tunnel.

"Wait"

At Ward's word, they all stopped long enough for Ward to duck into the engineering room, with Triplett behind him, much to the ire of the rest of the team.

They stood there like a sitting target for several minutes until the two emerged at a jog and Triplett spoke.

"We need to leave Sir"

"We WERE leaving, until you two disappeared Agent Triplett"

"No Sir. Ward just rigged this place to blow in five minutes. We need to leave NOW!"

Without waiting for a full explanation, May pushed through the last door taking out the room's two guards and opening the entrance to the tunnel. Everyone else filed through, with Ward entering last, and turning to damage the door's hinges. No-one would be following them.

Rushing through the tunnel at double-time, they reached the end and ascended the ladder into the forest.

The gunfire came from around them, ducking and returning fire as they ran, they followed the trail back to the Bus, May leading the way again, with Ward using his ICER and May's to provide most of the covering fire.

With the clearing in sight, Coulson deactivated the cloaking mechanism, and May wasted no time heading for the cockpit.

Taking up positions at the top of the ramp, everyone else began to return fire, they ducked behind storage crates, leaning up and around the crates to return fire.

The hum of the engine alerted them to the imminent take-off, so the ramp began to raise. Standing to head for the nearest seats upstairs they ran. The sounds of an explosion distracting the HYDRA agents.

There was a small graze of pain in his side as they ran, ignoring it they all headed for the lounge, buckling into the seats as the heard bullets flying through the air.

Ten minutes into the flight, May emerged from the cockpit as they all released their buckles.

"Cruising at 45,000 feet Sir"

Coulson nodded his thanks as they all stood up.

There was a small feeling of dampness as he straightened up before he legs buckled beneath him and he collapsed to the floor.

He thought he heard a shout of "GRANT!" before he slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

Thoughts people?

Coming up, Ward, Injury, Agent and other stuff...

Please review

-MarvelMatt


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_GRANT! WAKE UP!"_

…

_"__I need you to wake up. Please. For me"_

…

_"__I don't know if I'll every forgive you, but you got them out of there, so … thank you"_

…

_"__You should probably wake up soon man. It's been two days, but morale's kinda dying"_

…

_"__Just wake up already. I need a sparring partner"_

…

The first thing he noticed was the standard beeping of a heart rate monitor and the strong smell of bleach that accompanied Simmons' medical lab. Awakening his senses before his eyes, as he was trained to, he could tell that there was at least four other people in the room with him.

_"__I'm not sure when he'll awaken Sir but …"_

_"__No Simmons. Not until he can consent to-"_

His stealth awakening was ruined by someone or something on his chest moving causing him to cough, and what was apparently a person to jerk away.

Blinking the grogginess out of his eyes, he looked up to the cold blue ceiling of the med-lab, and pulled himself into a sitting position, finding Simmons, Coulson, Skye, Fitz and Triplett surrounding him with various expressions of relief in their faces.

"Welcome back to the land of the living Mr Ward", said Coulson, allowing a smile to grace his face.

Ignoring his boss for the moment, he swung his legs around to the edge of the bed, showing that he was in a hospital gown, but his clothes were in a neat pile next to him. Shrugging off the wires attached to the monitors he began to clothe himself. Simmons was about to object but Coulson held a hand up, silencing her.

Pulling on his jeans, he removed the IV drip from his arm, cutting off the small amount of morphine that was entering his system.

He placed one foot on the floor, and felt no small amount of pain flare in his side. From what he could tell, there had been no damage to anything important, it was just a flesh wound that had cost him a lot of blood.

Placing his second foot on the floor, the pain shot through his side, causing him to clench his teeth to avoid shouting out in pain. _Focus Ward. Feel the pain and push it down. Let it flow through you like water._

Breathing deeply, and with and audible exhale, he straightened up and into the 'ready' position.

"Thank you Sir"

The others were now staring at him in shock. This man had been shot three days ago, nearly died from blood loss and was now standing without a hint of the pain.

He attempted to leave the infirmary only to have Simmons and Triplett force him onto a gurney, while Coulson proclaimed he was on bed rest until further notice.

Coulson hung around long enough for Simmons to strap him into the machines again before he disappeared, with Skye following him soon after.

Simmons made herself busy while Tripp settled in to watch him, a questioning look on his face.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Stand up. You should be in enough pain to stop you sitting, never mind being able to stand up and walk. How do you do it?"

"I don't let myself feel the pain"

With his blank eyes and monotone voice, that last statement had scared him slightly, Ward looked and sounded completely emotionless.

Supressing the small urge to shudder, Tripp looked towards the door where Fitz and Mack were wheeling in a spare TV with their Xbox plugged in and ready. The four white controllers sat on top of the stand. Tripp turned his chair and reached for his controller as Mack loaded Halo in. Fitz picked up two and held one out for him.

"You up for a game?"

For the first time in a long time, he feels himself smiling, a true genuine smile, and not some cover image for HYDRA or John Garrett, an 'I'm glad I'm alive' smile, as he reaches for the controller.

"Teams or singles?"

"You and Tripp against Mack and me?"

"Bring it"

…

"Hey"

Turning his head away from the book he was currently reading, he found Skye in the doorway, carrying a tray of food.

"Join you?"

Almost with a worried look, he nodded curtly and she sat herself in the seat and passed him the tray of pork and various vegetables with cutlery placed on the side.

"Thanks", he muttered gruffly.

She just sits there, looking at him, her expression blank, or so she thinks, but he can see the worry behind them and he wonders if it's worry for him or about him.

He eats anyway, ignoring her stare as she swings her legs backwards and forwards underneath her chair. The pork is well cooked and the vegetables have been boiled. The way he prefers them for maximum effect, no added fats or nutrients lost.

"I'm sorry!" She blurts it out as he places the tray on his bedside table.

He turns to look at her, his own expression is one of shock, but he keeps his voice as neutral as he can.

"What?"

"I want to apologise"

"Why?"

That's the question he wants the answer to. Not what for, but why? Is she only apologising because he got shot? It's not the first time that's happened to him since he returned to S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Because … because you deserve it … you've been fighting to prove that you wanted to make a different decision and we- I've treated you like you were the devil incarnate, and I know that's made you beyond pissed at me-"

"You're wrong"

Her expression reminds him of a deer in those last seconds before it gets hit by a car, and he thinks of all the expressions of hurt that he has seen on Bobbi's face because of Skye and Hunter attempting to throw their relationship in his face.

"I'm wrong?"

"Yes. I expected bad treatment when I started again. I am mad at you, but not because of that"

"Why then?"

"Figure it out and then apologise to the right person"

Wordlessly, she stands and heads for the door, without even giving him a backwards glance, not allowing him to see the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes or the confusion written on her face.

…

It's three days later when Simmons gives him permission to leave.

He notices how both Simmons and Skye have been checking up on him more often than is necessary, and they both often found a reason to stay longer than necessary, which makes him feel better but also unnerves him slightly. He has trouble telling if they are worried about him or scared of him. The Berserker rage is still there, but for now it's as tired as he should be, so it stays away, just bubbling below the surface.

Tripp shows up with his clothes - a plain black t-shirt, jeans, boots and his underwear, and allows Ward to get changed out of the hospital gown.

"Where's my jacket?"

Tripp looks up to see him pulling on his boots and beginning to lace them.

"Which one?"

"My leather one. The same one I always wear"

"Oh. It's hung up in the lab" Tripp watches as he seems to breathe a sigh of relief, before pressing, "Why do you always wear the same jacket anyway?"

"It was a gift"

"From Garrett?"

The silence is answer enough, before he stands up fully dressed, not sign of an injury, which quite frankly, still disturbs him, no one should be able to recover from a bullet wound so fast, or so easily. Triplett motions for him to follow, so he does, staying behind the other specialist as they make their way towards the sleeping quarters.

He's surprised when Tripp walks right past the quarter corridors and heads for the briefing room and lounge area.

He's even more surprised when they enter the briefing room to find everyone standing around the holo-table, apparently waiting for them.

If that wasn't enough Coulson then begins to speak.

"Grant Ward. You have demonstrated the skill and dedication necessary to become an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. You have withstood interrogation under extreme circumstances without divulging S.H.I.E.L.D. Intel. You have earned the trust of the members of this organisation, does anyone here disagree?"

His eyes sweep over them. Skye and Simmons seem hesitant, while Hunter is scowling slightly. May's expression is her standard blank while the rest are seemingly smiling at him, but his own expression mirrors May's - standard neutral.

When no one disagrees, Coulson lets out a small smile before he continued, "Grant Ward. Do you swear to uphold the values and integrity of S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"I swear"

"Will you do you duty to protect the innocent and help those needed?"

"I will"

"And will you protect your team, and answer the call to guard when necessary"

"I will"

"Then remember this, Grant Ward, you stand as the line in the world you are the shield, a level five black ops specialist. Welcome back"

"Thank you Sir"

He's handed a S.H.I.E.L.D. Badge and his identification card. He slips the card into his back pocket, but he has his old badge in his room. He goes to give it back, but Coulson motions for him to open it.

He flips the leather open to read the identification number: 5646427738

John Garrett's identification number. This was his badge.

He clenches his eyes shut as he flips closed the leather and stuffs it in his jacket's inner pocket. He controls his breathing, which is noticed by everyone, and many shoot questioning looks to Coulson, but the man just smiles.

He exhales in some sort of relief, before he opens his eyes.

"Thank you Sir"

There's a congratulations from his supervisor, before the rest of them descended upon him. The constant claps on the back and hugs were an annoyance but he was glad to be back.

Only Coulson and May noticed the minute flinching.

…

"Director Coulson"

"Yes Dire-, I mean agent, no … err … Hello Sir"

Stepping out of the shadows Nick Fury let out a low chuckle, "just call me Fury Coulson"

The darker skinned man stepped out into the light, his long black trench coat billowed behind him, his eye patch in place of his sunglasses, and extended his arm, shaking Coulson's hand before sitting in the offered seat.

"What can I do for you?"

"I've located several HYDRA cells in Europe, but I have no way of infiltrating them as I have no agent capable of getting in"

Coulson's expression morphed into one of realization, as he rested his head in his hands.

"But I do. You want Ward"

It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes. Barton and Romanoff are willing to go in as back-up from a distance, but he's the only man in the world who can walk right in through the front door"

"I understand Fury. I'll bring him in"

There's a sort weight as the intercom buzzes through the base and the agent makes his way up to the meeting.

"Sirs"

Agent Grant Ward stepped into the Director's office, to come face-to-face with the Director and the previous Director.

He shook hands with both men, before they sat back down. Ward remained standing.

"Agent Ward, we have a proposition for you"

His face gave away the look of intrigue, before his brain came up with a question, "what kind of proposition Sirs?"

Coulson smiled, "We may have a way to take down HYDRA permanently"

He returned the smile with one of his own, before he took the seat next to Fury, straight-backed and giving the two men his full attention. "I'm listening"

It was two days later when the team assembled in the hangar as Ward entered with his sports bag slung over his shoulder, his shock at seeing the team there to see him off was displayed on his face.

He shook hands with Triplett, Mack and Hunter, the Brit wore a mask of indifference, but stood there to say goodbye anyway. Bobbi and Fitz gave him hugs as he passed them. He shook hands with Simmons, Skye and May, which seemed to upset Skye, though she tried not to show it.

When he got to his supervisor, they shook hands before Ward handed over his badges and his I.D. card, to a puzzled Coulson.

"Keep them safe, and I'll come back for them"

Standing at the lowered ramp of the quinjet, he turned and nodded towards his team, before Skye stepped forwards and grabbed him in a hug, much to his extreme shock. Simmons shocked them all further before she joined them, followed by Bobbi, and it eventually became a team hug with Ward at the centre.

Fury coughs behind them, and they all separate, as he motions for Ward to follow, shaking Coulson's hand as he enters the jet. Ward begins to follow him, but stops at Coulson again and holds out his fist, before dropping the camera from his jacket into it.

"Triplett gave it away, but you should all probably see it"

With that Agent Grant Ward entered the quinjet, as Fury fired it up, and they left, heading towards HYDRA's European strongholds.

"See what?"

Skye's voice breaks the silence as Coulson turns towards them, a defeated look in his eyes.

"Briefing room in fifteen. There's something you all need to see"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

I'm quite glad I came up with that Fury part, because I felt this thing was becoming directionless before I thought of that. I wanted away to tell everyone about Garrett, but give them time to digest it away from Ward, so a long mission away from them was a good choice.

Anyway, please leave me a review, and maybe a favourite and a follow.

'Till Next Time  
>-MarvelMatt<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

><p><strong>2 Hours After Grant Ward Left<strong>

* * *

><p>The team was devastated.<p>

The video they had watched had left them all in hysterics. Only Triplett, May, Mack, Hunter and Coulson had managed to prevent tears, though not without becoming wide-eyed.

They were all sat around the dining table in near silence, it was too early to make dinner, but too late for lunch, so the team - now down a member - just sat there.

The only noise were the light crying of Skye and Simmons.

Skye was sat in between Coulson and May, her head on Coulson's chest as she muttered her thoughts into his shirt. May was sat rubbing the girl's back.

Bobbi's eyes were blank as she leant against Hunter's chest - his own expression blank, with his arm around her shoulders.

Mack and Triplett were both dealing better than the rest, but they were just sitting there, staring into space.

FitzSimmons were sat together, with Simmons lying across Fitz's chest crying, while he had his left arm around her. He was attempting to pat her back, but his shaky hand was making it difficult for him to do so. His own eyes were teary, but he was managing to hold it back for Simmons.

"I kept telling him he should've run faster - into the wall"

Skye's admission brought more tears to her face and a fresh sob, but her shoulders were shaking less.

"I took his voice away. I took away the voice of an abuse victim"

May's usual deadpan was replaced by a tone laced by guilt, her eyes facing towards her lap, where one of her hands rested.

"I refused him medical treatment, made him patch himself up and…"

She almost broke down again, making Fitz pull him into her tighter.

"I was an ass to the man, and it wasn't even his fault"

Faces around the table turned in slight shock at Hunter's confession, just to see the man blankly staring at the wall.

"I slept with him but I don't even know if he wanted it"

"Did he complain?"

"Well … no"

"The his Berserker rage would've overridden any desire he had", May shot a look at Skye before continuing, "trust me, I know"

That piece of news didn't make Bobbi feel any better.

…

The quinjet hovered momentarily before it lowered itself into an old factory, de-cloaking just before it hit the ground. The engines rotated about until they hit the landing position, allowing the jet to touch down. Small bleeping sounds indicated that the jet had powered down and the ramp had lowered.

Grant Ward walked down the ramp and into a hug from Natasha Romanoff A.K.A The Black Widow, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best interrogator and deep cover specialist. Extracting himself from her, he grasped hands with the man behind her, Clint Barton A.K.A Hawkeye was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best sharpshooter, as well as Widow's partner.

His two oldest friends knew about his extreme past, as well as his infiltration work with HYDRA. Barton spent a good half an hour ranting over his short descent into crazyville, as well as his three suicide attempts, though both of them were impressed by his management of his Berserker rage.

They both nearly killed him for not telling them Coulson was alive immediately.

_"__I thought Fury would've told you"_

Seeing Fury attempt to placate S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best assassins brought a small smile to his face, at least, until his phone rang from an unregistered number.

Silence fell as he answered the call, placing it to his ear.

"Hello"

"Hail HYDRA"

Fighting back a small smile, he replied, "Hail HYDRA"

The three faces of his new partners snapped towards him as they heard his reply to the caller, they watched as he began making quick notes on a small notepad. They locked eyes as he made his way back towards them, a small smile on his face.

"Jo's Diner. Tomorrow. Noon and my contact will get me be back in"

"Good work Agent Ward. Barton and Romanoff will be shadowing you, the drop point for anything relevant is Finnegan's - an Irish bar, there's a cupboard under the sink in the gent's toilets"

"Understood Sir"

"The three of you get ready to gear up. We're in Europe until HYDRA isn't"

"Yes Sir!"

* * *

><p><strong>2 Months After Grant Ward Left<strong>

* * *

><p>The team was working like a well-oiled machine.<p>

Ward would walk in to the HYDRA bases as a survivor from the last S.H.I.E.L.D. attack, scope out the place, gather any technology and information that could be funnelled back to Coulson and his team. They already taken out the bases in London and Madrid and were currently in Lyon, attempting to remove the French stronghold.

The information had been smuggled out and into the post-box outside of a nearby bakers, which had included a small vial and a note intended for dropping off.

Rigging up the large explosive he had constructed, he set the timer for five minutes before slipping out and into a nearby SUV. A blond Natasha Romanoff was sat in the driver's seat.

Wordlessly, she put the car into drive and pulled away.

The pulled onto a motorway as there was a bright flash behind them and the large office building collapsed on itself.

"Instructions?"

"Fury and Barton are dropping off the intel with your old team. Barton's gonna punch Coulson in the face, and then they'll meet us in Florence. Be prepared - HYDRA's beginning to notice a pattern with the attacks, you're gonna have to make them more accidental. There's still several bases left in Europe"

"Understood"

…

Coulson's team was now assembled in front of the newly landed quinjet, expecting Fury to step off the jet with their latest Intel drop off. Several of the new recruits who were about were sending the team curious glances.

When the ramp lowered and Coulson stepped up to greet him, nobody saw the right hook coming.

Quickly drawing their ICERs, only to find Coulson chuckling as Hawkeye loomed over him.

"Good to see you too Clint"

Pulling him back to his feet and straight into a hug, Barton started muttering threats and "thank gods" in Coulson's ear.

Skye was doing her best not to 'fan-girl' over the Avenger.

"Dr Simmons. Here you go"

Fury's normal tone preceded him as he stepped out of the jet and handed over a small vial of an amber liquid.

"What is it Sir?"

"A gift from Agent Ward", at her enquiring look he continued, "according to him, it managed to get a comatose patient's brain activity high enough to awaken. He said it was a gift for Agent Fist?"

"Agent Fitz?"

"Yes. He thinks it will return his normal brain functionality to him"

Without waiting for any further instructions or descriptions, Simmons ran from the room draggling a slightly startled Fitz behind her.

"Agent Barton. If you're finished with Director Coulson, we have Intel to deliver and then we have Europe to get back to"

Following Coulson they headed for the main briefing room.

…

_2 Days Later_

"Again"

Huffing in tiredness, Ward nocked another arrow and took aim, drawing the bow until it was a tense as he could get it, before letting the arrow loose and seeing it hit the centre of the target, splitting the arrows again.

"Again"

"Seriously?"

"You asked me to teach you to shoot, and I agreed. So … Again"

"Later Agent Barton. Ward has to meet with his Italian contact"

"Yes Sir"

* * *

><p><strong>8 Months After Grant Ward Left<strong>

* * *

><p>Equipped with his lightweight Titanium coated recurve bow, Grant Ward made his way towards the main power room of the HYDRA base in Switzerland. This base in Geneva was supposedly the last one in Europe before his team was headed back to 'The Playground'.<p>

As much as he loved being in Europe, he couldn't wait to be back stateside.

"Arsenal to Hawkeye"

"Receiving"

"Bombs been planted. RV at Evac location. Arsenal out"

Stepping back to clean up anything that would give them away too early. He checked over his work before reaching down to set the timer when his senses put him on edge.

"I wouldn't do that Mr Ward, or do you prefer Arsenal?"

Taking in the speaker's suit and round glasses, as well as his perfect accent, he placed the clues together.

"Mr Whitehall, I presume"

"Indeed I am"

"Or do you prefer The Kraken?"

The German in question let out a small chuckle, "very good work Mr Ward. You will do well as an asset for HYDRA"

"Fat chance"

As he spoke, armed guards piled in to the room. Even with his new bow and his Berserker rage, there was no way he could take them and get out alive.

"I think you'll join us anyway. After all, compliance is rewarded Mr Ward"

…

As the team was sat around the couches after their Friday night team dinner, the red alarm in the corner of the room set off. With all of them looking towards him in concern.

Standing and brushing off his jacket, he hit the comms button on the nearest screen and the face of Nick Fury filled the screen.

"Coulson! We need your help"

That confession alone was enough to get everyone's alarm bells ringing.

"What happened?"

"I sent Ward and Barton in to clear the last European HYDRA base. Everything went to plan, until Ward failed to reach the Evac site. So I sent Barton and Romanoff back in to get him"

"Where's the problem then?"

"The base was stripped bare. Ward's missing"

…

"Could you pass me those files Mr Ward?"

"Of course Mr Whitehall"

"Thank you"

"No thanks necessary Sir. I'm happy to comply"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

And we have intrigue! And Hawkeye and Black Widow! And brainwashing! AND a cured Fitz! I must be feeling generous, then again, WWE Survivor Series is tomorrow, so maybe that's why I'm in a good mood.

For those wondering, Arsenal is taken from the DC Comics character Roy Harper. (I'm a huge DC fan)

And please leave a review

'Till Next Time  
>-MarvelMatt<p>

**GrandMoffAmbrius - **The bone was a regular dog bone - to honour Buddy, it was not Buddy's remains


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

><p><strong>6 Months Later<strong>

* * *

><p>"Status?"<p>

"Hawkeye ready"

"Black Widow ready"

"Mockingbird ready"

"Cavalry ready"

"Howler ready"

"Hunter ready"

"GO! GO! GO!"

…

Stepping in to the latest HYDRA stronghold they'd located, Senior Agent Phil Coulson strode through the cleared corridors, headed towards where his agents had converged.

This was another failure to capture a known HYDRA base.

As seemed the M.O. lately, their Intel had given them the base's location, they'd scoped it out from the outside and confirmed that it was active, and then Director Fury had given them the go ahead.

The base was then emptied by the time they'd been prepared to breach, only this time there was a difference.

A laptop was waiting for them in what seemed like the stronghold's command centre.

His Italian leather shoe preceded his immaculate suit, as he entered, FitzSimmons and Skye flanking him, to find his six field agents awaiting them. At his command, Skye booted up the laptop and bypassed the low level encryption.

A series of green numbers flashed across the screen before the red logo of HYDRA emerged into view.

"So they were here"

Several of them murmured their agreements to Coulson's statement, as the logo faded to reveal the face of Daniel Whitehall, Bakshi and what seemed to be a third man, stood behind them, draped in shadow.

"Ah, Mr Coulson"

"Whitehall", he spat back at the screen.

"Yes, I was hoping that it would be you that found this"

"What do you want? Why leave a message?"

"Not a message. A warning to all those that defy HYDRA"

The video feed was replaced by a black and white security feed that was dated five months ago.

_The doors flew open and overhead lights flickered on, revealing several men decked in standard HYDRA tactical gear, who took positions surrounding the man in the centre, whose face was forcibly turned towards the camera._

_His arms suspended by chains above him, Grant Ward was looking straight at them._

Longingly, Skye's hand reached out towards him, only for her to pull it back in embarrassment as several of her team mates raised eyebrows at her action.

_Daniel Whitehall stepped into the cell, with Bakshi trailing dutifully behind him. The soldiers snapped into their salute and Ward let out a chuckle._

_One of the guards sent his fist into Ward's stomach._

_The specialist didn't react, even as Bakshi stepped forwards._

_"__Last chance to save yourself Mr Ward. I suggest you take it"_

_"__Go to Hell"_

_They both sighed, Whitehall's shoulders dropped slightly as he spoke, "You may begin"_

The team watched in horror as Ward was subjected to a seven on one beat down, unable to defend himself as the blows rained down on him.

The video sped up as the time stamp moved up by a week, each day bringing several similar beatings. Most of them were contained to fists and boots, but some of them involved steel pipes and batons.

_The lights flickered back on as Bakshi entered the room flanked by three guards. Ward's head moved, their eyes clashing._

_"__Mr Ward-"_

_"__Go to Hell"_

_"__Very well. You leave us no choice"_

_He waved the three men forwards. The man at the rear had brought a car battery with him, with jumper cables attached. They sat it down on the small table near Ward._

_No reaction._

_Bakshi dialled up the amp reading to six milliamps._

"That's not good"

Their gazes flicked from the screen to Romanoff as she'd spoken, their gazes enquiring.

"Most people pass out a six milliamps. Seven milliamps will stop your heart"

Several of them swallowed thickly.

_Ward's screams echoed through the cell. His tormentors smiling in delight as he fought to control the screams before he gave in to his body's desire._

_The screams endured, his body racking and arching in pain until he was spent and his body slumped in exhaustion._

_He was left alone for four hours until Bakshi returned and the torture was resumed._

_The beatings and the torture continued for another three days - if the time stamp was to be believed._

_Not a single meal had been brought to him the entire time he had been there, and water was placed on a sponge and brought to his lips several times a day._

_Eventually, during one of his torture sessions, as Natasha had predicted, his heart gave out and he slumped to the floor, dead._

Skye and Simmons let out whimpers, with tears threatening to fall as most of them looked sick. Only May, Barton and Romanoff looked fine. May and Barton had seen worse.

Natasha had lived it.

_A team of medical staff rushed into the room, dropping a stretcher as they entered and rolled him onto it. The guards helped them with lifting it onto a gurney as one of the doctors straddled him and began chest compressions and recue breaths as they wheeled him from the room._

_Whitehall entered, as the gurney passed him._

_"__Mr Ward?"_

_"__Ready for treatment Sir"_

_"__Good. Begin as soon as possible"_

_"__Of course Sir"_

The video switched itself off as the faces of Daniel Whitehall and Bakshi returned to the screen and Coulson's face morphed into one of pure, unadulterated rage.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!?"

"My my, temper temper Mr Coulson. I only finished what John Garrett started. I'm only leading him down a path YOUR team helped push him down"

"WHERE IS HE!?"

Skye's voice screamed out to the screen, concern and pain lacing her anger as she yelled.

"Ah, Miss Skye I believe … oh he's still alive, you should have seen him, determined not to betray you all again, especially you. Yes his dedication to protecting you was admirable, he fought us for so long - you would've been so proud"

"How do we know he's alive?"

Coulson's voice had returned to his neutral tone, but they could all see his rage simmering at the surface.

"Oh you really do think the worst of us don't you?" Bakshi's tone was mocking, "We would never waste skills as valuable as his, and so, after we 'fixed' him we had one final task"

The video faded again as it showed an abandoned warehouse, containing Skye and May, though not from any mission they recognised, and Skye hadn't worn a red plaid short in months, her only one had caught fire by accident and she'd thrown it away.

_There was a whistle as an arrow flew through the air and straight through May's chest._

_She was dead before her body hit the floor._

_Dropping down from the rafters, Grant Ward landed in the standard specialist pose, crouched with one hand on their weapon. In his case a bow._

_"__GRANT!"_

_Fake Skye sprung to her feet, apparently extremely pleased to see him._

_She'd barely taken two steps towards him when the arrow pierced her chest._

_She was dead before her body hit the floor._

_Stepping across the room, he checked the pulses on both women, before retrieving his bloody arrows and wiping them on Fake Skye's shirt, and pressing a comms device in his._

_"__It's done … Yes Sir … Understood I'm on my way"_

The screen faded yet again, as the heads of HYDRA returned, and Bakshi took over the conversation.

"So you see … your Mr Ward is dead"

"You said he was alive!"

Whitehall let a small smile slip onto his features as he looked as his student, "Mr Bakshi, put them out of their misery"

Bakshi gestured to the man behind them, who had been draped in the shadows, and he stepped out of the darkness and into the light, and the team lost their breath.

Decked out in dark HYDRA red Kevlar, his quiver loaded with black arrows with red tips, and his reinforced red recurve bow, their new enforcer dropped his hood to reveal the emotionless face of Grant Ward.

There were shouts of "Ward!" "Grant!" and assorted thanks as his face became visible.

He didn't react.

"Mr Ward, look at me"

He didn't react to Whitehall's commands either.

"There is no Ward, just another weapon in HYDRA's arsenal"

At the word "Arsenal", his head snapped towards Whitehall, awaiting his instructions.

"Arsenal, send our message. Mr Coulson I'd advise you to look to your left"

As Ward disappeared off the screen, they all turned to Coulson's left to see a small jet de-cloak, before lowering the rear ramp to reveal 'Arsenal'. Raising his bow, he knocked his arrow, before letting it fly.

The window caused the arrow to be deflected.

It flew straight into Hawkeye's left shoulder, who screamed in pain as his armour turned red, before they saw the ramp raise and the jet leaving.

Ward was once again their enemy.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

Am I cruel or what?

I envision the look to be that of Roy Harper's on 'Arrow'. So check it out if your curious.

And as always, please leave me a review.

'Till Next Time  
>-MarvelMatt<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

><p>"Agent Coulson, what happened?"<p>

The concerned voice of Commander Maria Hill reached him before he had even reached the bottom of the Bus' ramp. Looking up, he found not only the Commander, but Director Fury awaiting them.

Fury's single working eye seemed to be radiating anger as he watched Romanoff and Triplett carry Barton between them, while only his shoulder had been injured, Simmons had insisted on minimal exertion, so he found himself being carried by his partner and their resident specialist.

"Coulson", Fury's voice broke him out of his small trance watching his agents pass him by, "gather your team in briefing room A. You have an hour"

The excess of time seemed rather long compared to what many agents were usually given, but ever since Coulson had handed over the Director position back to Fury and told him to give the Commander position to Maria instead of himself, he found that he had far more leniency afforded to him.

Not that he was complaining.

Reaching his quarters next to May's, he slipped off his tie before hanging his suit in his wardrobe and dropping his shirt in his clothes hamper, next to his shower, before stripping the rest of the way and turning on the hot water, and letting it soothe his tense muscles, as his mind wandered to the source of his discomfort.

Grant Ward.

Once again, Grant Ward had been forced into a position where he had been made to serve someone that had been abused by, tortured by and in this case, murdered by.

Just what the fuck did that do to a man's psyche?

How does a man die at the hands of an abuser before having his life saved, and because of a lifetime of abuse, NOT feel indebted to the man?

If he ever met John Garrett on the other side, he would rip him a new one.

And then several more.

So now, they had a brand new S.H.I.E.L.D. going against a very desperate HYDRA's remnants, who now had one of the best black ops specialists that S.H.I.E.L.D. had ever had, improved his marksmanship to Hawkeye-level archery, armed him, removed his conscience and then brainwashed him into becoming a mindless drone.

The perfect HYDRA soldier.

This shit was beyond fucked up.

And that wasn't taking into account the effect that this had on his team.

Skye was a mess. The whole Ward situation had put her through the emotional ringer. First she slept with Hunter, which had fractured what little relationship they had. She'd then been a complete bitch - her words, not his - towards an abuse victim, before she'd discovered his secret. By then Ward was in Europe taking out HYDRA cells, and when she was finally ready to speak with him, he'd been kidnapped by HYDRA, before becoming a merciless assassin, and had proven himself to them by killing copies of Skye and May.

She was now so determined and distant, that she was starting to scare him.

Barton and Romanoff had not taken the appearance of their old friend well, especially when he'd placed an arrow in Barton's shoulder, yet they managed to remain composed.

Morse had been quick to follow the other two, he suspected something of a crush on the archer, but she had been shaken by Ward's - NO - Arsenal's appearance.

Grant Ward was NOT Arsenal.

May, Hunter and Triplett had taken it similarly, the three being startled but prepared to do what was necessary. Hunter seemed afraid of Ward, though considering their past interactions, the fear was not completely unfounded.

That left Fitz, Simmons and Mack.

Well, Mack didn't really know him very well, but Fitz seemed to have taken it hard, even shouting at Simmons when she tried to get him to eat something or leave his room. She hadn't taken it personally, but he could see that she still had difficulty understanding what Ward had done.

The younger agents just couldn't understand how their big, strong and overprotective 'big brother' could have been so … weak.

Caring for John Garrett wasn't a weakness, but that was how they saw it. None of them had ever been desperate enough to have to take such desperate measures.

The fact that Ward had, and as a CHILD. That just made him feel sick.

Turning his taps back to their 'OFF' positions, he grabbed a nearby towel, before drying himself and dressing himself in his suit.

The shower hadn't helped him feel much cleaner.

…

**3 Months Later**

On what would have been Grant Ward's twenty eighth birthday, Director Fury, Commander Hill and Senior Agents Coulson, Barton and Romanoff were awaiting the return of their strike force, which had been dispatched to the HYDRA base near Starling City.

Pulling his sleeve back, Coulson read the time as 11:02.

"They're late"

As if on cue, the Hub's (formerly named 'The Playground') roof opened up as Mobile Air Unit 616 lowered itself into the hangar, de-cloaking as it did so.

The engine noise died out as the rear ramp lowered, revealing Agents May and Skye. They walked off towards the senior officers as other personnel carted off their injured and deceased. Skye had remained on 'The Bus', whereas May had led the field team, and had her scrapes to show for it.

Taking count of the number of losses and injuries, Romanoff decided that something really bad must've taken place. That number of casualties was unheard of for S.H.I.E.L.D.

"How many?"

"Twelve dead. Everyone else has some sort of injury"

The Director did not seem happy with her response.

"How many men did HYDRA leave behind?"

May visibly swallowed, _how bad could it have been, she had helped May choose the thirty people on her taskforce._

"Nine"

The five waiting officers looked as though someone had ran down their grandmother. Hill was the first to regain her composure.

"Nine HYDRA agents did this much damage to our forces?"

"No"

Sensing a story there, Coulson stepped in.

"Agent May, get your squad cleaned up, we'll debrief with you in a half hour"

...

Agent May took her usual seat in the briefing room. The very large circular table with the large emblem housed many seats. Fury sat at the head of the bird, with Hill on his right and Coulson on his left. Romanoff and Barton sat next to Coulson.

There was a seat reserved for Steve Rogers next to Hill, and one for Bobbi next to his. Following on were seats for Triplett, Skye, Simmons, Hunter, Mack and Fitz. Her own chair was the next in the sequence. There was a single gap before it linked up with Romanoff.

Each chair had a name stencilled on the back, and the one next to her that read 'G. Ward', gave her a painful reminder of why she was there in the first place. They'd argued over giving him a chair in the first place, until Fury overrode them all and had it placed in.

She waited, as the other agents filtered in from across the base until only one seat was empty.

The only seat that had never been sat in.

Rogers was the last one to join them, lighting up Coulson's face like a Christmas tree. Even after months of seeing him daily, he was still in awe of his childhood hero.

The idle chatter died down as he took his seat and all faces turned towards her, except for Skye's dropping to her lap.

She stood up and opened her file, as the others did the same in front of them, before deciding to speak.

"At 0530 hours this morning, I led a field team on a surgical strike against a known HYDRA base. The base in question was low yield, but had reported access to Kord Industries technology. Billionaire, CEO and technological genius, Ted Kord, has no known HYDRA ties. The meagre force left behind was only nine men, my force of twenty nine was able to dispatch eight of said men, sustaining only one loss"

She glanced up, to find the agents she'd spoken to look on in concern as their brows furrowed, before she pressed on.

"As we swept through the base, we managed to pick up several key pieces including what looked like a weapons prototype and the drug that successfully restored Agent Fitz's mental capacity. The remaining twenty eight agents, including myself, were then ambushed"

"By one man?"

She looked up, meeting Fury's unwavering gaze with one of her own, "By Arsenal".

The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.

Since his murder, revival and 'compliance' with HYDRA, Ward's name had become a taboo amongst them, and thereby every agent on the base. Only Rogers hadn't adopted a look of depression.

May let them have a minute to digest that information, and having remained careful enough to avoid mentioning Ward by his actual name, before she continued with her briefing.

"Arsenal attacked from the rafters first, picking us off in our initial confusion. He started by taking out our ICERs before he descended any lower and began taking kill shots. The arrows were lodged through the barrels, so we had to mostly rely on hand to hand when he hit the floor and started killing. We couldn't take him in hand to hand before, and the bow just makes him even deadlier, He's more efficient now, he never missed a shot before except now, he has no mercy for anyone"

"Anyone?"

"Skye entered the fray having been left at 'The Bus' to run comms. Ward always had a soft spot for her, which we have exploited before", Coulson and Skye looked down in shame, as Rogers frowned, "but if Agent Hardy hadn't stepped in front of her, she would be dead by now"

If possible, the atmosphere in the room dropped lower at her final statement. Ward had always been easy on Skye, but if he shot to kill _her_ then nothing was going to stop him from harming _anyone_ else.

"Agent May, was there any good news?"

"We managed to overload a high energy particle device that they had stored there. I'm told that it released high levels of exotic particles into the air, but I'm told that there's no danger to the surrounding populace"

She looked towards FitzSimmons, who confirmed by nodding their heads.

"What about-"

Rogers' question was cut off when an alarm began to blare, silencing everything. Not wasting a second, Fury span in his chair as the wall behind him started showing security footage.

The main hangar had had a hole blown in its wall and people were pouring through it. The distinctive black Kevlar and red logo gave them away as HYDRA. Behind him, Daniel Whitehall and Bakshi entered, _expecting us to abandon most likely, _the camera picked up two more men behind them, but they were unable to be seen.

A single S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent slipped past the defence line, only to find a red arrow sticking out his chest. It seemed as though 'Arsenal' had arrived with them, though a mystery man still lurked alongside him.

Bakshi turned to mutter some orders that the camera didn't pick up, before the two sprinted off, pausing to allow Whitehall and Bakshi to pass in front of them, before an arrow took out the security camera, cutting off their feed.

Fury turned back around, seeing his agents pull out their weaponry, apart from the scientists and Coulson, everyone was dressed in their tactical gear. He gave a curt nod, and they all swept out of the briefing room as a group, only Rogers separated, going to retrieve his trademark shield.

The tensed as they entered a large commons area to see Agent Collins enter from the other side, he seemed relieved to see them until the red arrow pierced him from behind, and he fell lifelessly to the floor as Arsenal came into view.

…

Typing in his security code, he pulled his shield out from its storage and display box. Agent Rogers became Captain America.

Heading in the direction of the most gunfire, he began knocking heads together, until he came into an unused and empty room, where several S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents had fallen, as he saw someone snapping the neck of another.

Without hesitation, he flung the shield towards his new opponent, only for it to be caught by a silver hand. He felt his knees weaken slightly, as he looked into those familiar brown eyes. The long hair and mask helped hide his true self well, but the eyes were definitely his.

"Bucky?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

BOOM! Am I cruel with cliff-hangers or not? Anyhow, I envision only one, but maybe two more chapters for this particular story, but I have an idea for a sequel of sorts. It will kinda be a SHIELD/Arrow/Flash crossover, so I may post it three times on each different page.

Ward as 'Arsenal''s outfit is now this fic's image.

As you always do, please leave me a comment in the review box. Even suggestions for the crossover are welcome, I haven't got many of the details sorted yet, but I want chapter one up by January.

**-MarvelMatt**

**PS - **Anyone else think Flash's winter finale was a work of art, but AoS felt more like a disapointment than anything.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Previously on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.<em>**

_…_

_He lived in the darkness, he had been born into it, he hadn't seen the light until he was a man, and the light was called Skye._

_She despised him now too._

_…_

_He'd later read another quote and written it down to remember, 'Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man'. He'd never heard truer words._

_…_

_Looking around him he saw shadows of himself in his younger days. Teaching himself to free-run through the trees, manoeuvring around nature. Playing with Buddy, bonding with his best friend, before he was lost. John teaching him how to fight. How to shoot, and how to survive._

_John's lessons were always painful, his first lesson in fighting left him with broken ribs and a sprained wrist. His first shooting lesson left him with a bullet graze on his thigh. He'd later had broken fingers and his left shoulder to add to that._

_…_

_"__Enough catch-up. You Mr Ward, as a former HYDRA agent will give my interrogating friend here everything you know on S.H.I.E.L.D. including current plans and bases of operation"_

_"__Or?"_

_"__He'll extract it from you. You may be able to withstand the torture, but can your friends stand hearing you scream"_

_"__I don't have friends, and these lot will probably enjoy it"_

_…_

_"__How did you do that?"_

_"__Do what?"_

_"__Stand up. You should be in enough pain to stop you sitting, never mind being able to stand up and walk. How do you do it?"_

_"__I don't let myself feel the pain"_

_…_

_"__Where's my jacket?"_

_Tripp looks up to see him pulling on his boots and beginning to lace them._

_"__Which one?"_

_"__My leather one. The same one I always wear"_

_"__Oh. It's hung up in the lab" Tripp watches as he seems to breathe a sigh of relief, before pressing, "Why do you always wear the same jacket anyway?"_

_"__It was a gift"_

_"__From Garrett?"_

_The silence is answer enough._

_…_

_Caring for John Garrett wasn't a weakness, but that was how they saw it. None of them had ever been desperate enough to have to take such desperate measures._

_…_

_The tensed as they entered a large commons area to see Agent Collins enter from the other side, he seemed relieved to see them until the red arrow pierced him from behind, and he fell lifelessly to the floor as Arsenal came into view._

_…_

_Without hesitation, he flung the shield towards his new opponent, only for it to be caught by a silver hand. He felt his knees weaken slightly._

_"__Bucky?"_

_…_

Stunned by the appearance of his best friend, he forgot to dodge as his own shield was thrown towards him, slamming into his chest and sending him crashing to the floor.

The Winter Soldier's silver arm reached up to remove his mask, before catching the returning shield. The mask made a resounding CLUNK in the empty room. Bucky kicked the dead agent's corpse to the side, before throwing the shield to the Captain as he sat up.

Standing, he placed the shield onto his left arm, before pulling off his own mask, and staring his oldest friend down. His brown eyes seeming clouded compared to the usual brightness they had.

Sliding one leg back into a defensive stance, he brought the shield to his side, before moving off, headed for his opponent.

His legs racing, looking to meet his opponent in the middle, he raised his metal arm, and swung with all that he had.

…

They immediately fanned out, hoping to swarm him before he decided to pull of an attack, but they were too slow.

Two quick shots struck FitzSimmons on their palettes, dropping them both instantly, and everyone else surged forwards, but Hawkeye and Mack hung back, both of them noting the blunt arrows that were used against the scientists - they were unconscious, but alive.

Hawkeye turned to tell Mack to remove FitzSimmons from the area when another blunt arrow struck Mack, dropping the mechanic.

It was now ten on one.

Nocking a blunt arrow of his own, he let loose, only to see Arsenal snatch the arrow mid-flight, before spinning, and using the arrow's momentum to nock it while he span, before firing it back at him.

_Huh, the irony in that, _was Hawkeye's last thought before he hit the ground unconscious.

…

He couldn't help the grunts that escaped his lips as he felt the blows rain down on his already bruised ribs. Their masks were set off to the side, and his shield had been wrenched from his grasp, nearly taking his shoulder with it.

With one last strike, The Winter Soldier - NOT Bucky - dropped him, before making to leave.

Coughing up drops of blood as he did so, he pushed himself to his knees, and attempted to stand.

"Why do you persist? Compliance would be easier"

Straightening up, he spat out the blood from his mouth, "Easier? Yes, but not right, and I'm gonna make you see that"

Launching himself forwards with a right hook, he was sidestepped, and The Winter Soldier sent him crashing back to the floor, by driving his elbow into the side of his ribs. He hit the floor, rolling onto his back and staring his oldest friend in his eyes.

"Why?"

"For you Bucky. I'll always try to help you, I'll follow you to the end of the line"

For the first time in a long time, the clouds in his eyes began to recede.

…

They had him encircled now, which meant that they could cover him from all angles, but prevented them from using their ICERs, lest they catch each other in the crossfire.

Using his bow like a staff, he swung it, using it to strike. His initial attack was aimed at Widow, having identified her as the biggest threat, it had only taken seconds for May to join the fray.

They watched as he danced around 'The Cavalry', using her body to stop Black Widow from reaching him, using his opponent as a moving human shield. The rest watched, transfixed, as Arsenal weaved his way in between two of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s greatest ever combatants, dealing and taking damage, but with no apparent signs of fatigue.

His mistake came when he moved his back to Bobbi, and she used her batons to strike him from behind.

His head reeled from the blow, and he dropped his bow in surprise and Romanoff wasted no time as she kicked it away.

Smirking, he drew his own batons from their pouch on his left leg, but not before he threw a flechette at May, she side stepped in an attempt to dodge, but Arsenal had anticipated the move, and she had stepped into its path.

The miniature arrow impaled itself through her thigh, and she collapsed onto one leg, unable to stand on her left.

"MEL!"

Coulson's cry of concern jarred the rest into action. Hunter, Triplett and Skye moved in, with the two male specialists seizing him from behind, while Fury took aim with his ICER.

A single shot rang out.

…

"The end of the line Bucky. The. End. Of. The. Line"

Captain America watched on, as his friend's famous words were traced onto his lips, the HYDRA weapon seemingly stopping in his path of destruction, before mouthing the words himself, a small sliver of remembrance reaching his face.

"You remember don't you? Bucky?"

The Winter Soldier was transfixed, but he knew his friend, he could see the thoughts racing through his, a mile a minute, connecting the dots.

"You remember me don't you? What about Peggy? Or Dum Dum? We were a team! HYDRA took you away from us!"

He was screaming now, before he collapsed to his knees, his chest heaving in dry sobs, "you have to remember, please Bucky"

The deafening silence is only broken by the Captain pleading, watching as the soldier straightens up, a startling clarity on his face.

"Get up Captain. We have a mission to finish and people to save"

…

Fury fired.

On instinct, Arsenal threw his shoulder in front of his vital organs, which also managed to pull Hunter straight into the line of fire, and he dropped to the floor, incapacitated.

Swinging over in the other direction, Tripp was sent over his shoulder, before he dropped his knee across the darker man's jaw, knocking him out instantly.

The fight had now gone from a thirteen on one situation, to a six on one beat down, and it was the six getting beaten down.

The last flechette was thrown into Fury's thigh, and like May, he dropped to the floor, unable to stand.

It was now five on one.

Coulson left May's side to join the others, he shed his suit jacket and rolled his sleeves up, preparing to fight.

Romanoff placed herself between Arsenal and his recurve bow. There had been no fatalities so far, but she didn't want to take any chances.

Hill, Skye and Bobbi finished boxing him in.

Neither side made a move, uncompromising in its goal to defeat the other, like a chess game, Whitehall had sent his best piece, hoping to wipe all others from the board.

So Arsenal made his move.

He struck overhead at Bobbi, whose arms moved up to intercept. Dropping the baton in his left hand, he grabbed her arms and threw her into a surprised Hill, and they stumbled over towards where Triplett was attempting to regain some semblance of consciousness.

Without waiting Skye lunged for the fallen baton, but it was too late.

As Morse and Hill fell, he had thrown his second baton straight at Romanoff's face, and she had ducked to avoid it.

Ward had dived over her crouched form, rolling as he landed, and straightened up with his bow in hand, the other drawing an arrow.

A very pointy, non-blunt arrow.

He let the arrow loose, as May's thrown ICER collided with the side of his face, and the arrow - aimed at Hill's abdomen veered off course.

It passed her by and headed towards where Bobbi was helping Tripp get to his feet.

…

"Come on, I know how to help him!"

Captain America and The Winter Soldier ran through the base, looking like the strongest and strangest partners ever seen.

"How?"

While running, Bucky managed to roll his eyes, "I was HYDRA for decades. Every agent that's been brainwashed has a specific memory, one of their better ones, if we can get Arsenal to remember it, you get Grant Ward back! Mine was the 'end of the line', when I was with you!"

"So what's his memory?"

"I dunno"

"That does not fill me with confidence Bucky!"

…

The arrow pierced Tripp's knee, shattering the kneecap and causing the specialist to scream in agony, Bobbi placed him on the ground, before attempting to re-join the fight.

She never managed, as a blunt arrow struck her temple before she'd even turned around.

That left it at four to one. HYDRA's victory seeming all the more assured as Arsenal circled his prey, before lashing at Coulson, his elbow colliding with the man's temple with a sicking CRACK.

Three to one.

Leaping over Skye and Hill's joint attack, another arrow was let loose, aimed straight at Skye's chest, just like the shot from the video. She thought she was going to die.

Until a shield collided with the arrow in mid-air, before bouncing off the wall and returning to its sender.

Captain America and The Winter Soldier had entered the fray.

Skye's breath rushed out from her as she let out the breath she'd been holding at Ward's attempted murder of her, everyone's face went into relief mode as TWO super soldiers entered the room side by side.

Romanoff, Hill and Coulson backed off, with Romanoff moving to check on Barton, while the other two headed for Fury and May, while Skye tried to move the others from the floor, letting the three of them have the area.

The greatest soldier the world had ever known, the HYDRA traitor and quite possibly the greatest specialist S.H.I.E.L.D. had ever known, and HYDRA's ageless assassin came to a stand-off.

It was like the beginning of a bad joke, except none of it was funny.

The two super soldiers separated, leaving a gap, big enough to dodge into, without compromising the other.

Bucky flexed his arm. Captain America hefted his shield. And Arsenal drew back his bow, sharp, pointy and deadly arrow at the ready.

The Captain turned to have a quick conversation with Coulson, before turning around as Arsenal fired.

The arrow flew towards The Captain, who brought his shield up to block it, and while he was blind Arsenal moved towards Bucky.

While the two men out of time had enhanced speed, strength and reflexes, neither of them had anywhere near the level of skill that Arsenal had. He had all of Grant Ward's skills, which was a lot, and then he had whatever HYDRA had added to that.

There really was no way to tell who was going to walk away from this.

Ducking under Bucky's fist, he sent a jab into the side of his ribs, cutting off his breath, before swinging around to his back, and sending his elbow into Bucky's kidneys, the bigger man dropping to a knee.

Arsenal reached behind him for another arrow when the shield smashed into his elbow.

The Captain, seeing Arsenal reach for another weapon hadn't hesitated in disabling him. He'd thrown his shield, and then watched as it connected with his arm, before the arm below his elbow went slack.

He'd broken it at his elbow.

The bow and arrow clattered to the floor as Arsenal cradled his broken right arm with his left, before he stuffed it into his harness and reached for another arrow.

He never had the chance to reach it as Bucky's arms wrapped around him, locking him in a full nelson, as his legs wrapped around his abdomen, tightening the hold and immobilizing the man.

"COULSON NOW!"

Coulson, Skye, Bobbi and Romanoff ran over to them as Arsenal attempted to thrash about in his captivity, but the broken arm restricted him and allowed the much stronger Bucky to hold him.

They took one look at the struggle before they all began sprouting off ideas for Ward's memory.

"Shooting-"

"Battleship-"

"Shooting-"

"Training-"

"-music-"

"-Buddy-"

"-err board games-"

They looked on in horror as Arsenal continued to thrash against his captor, out of ideas until Tripp's voice rang out, with pain lacing his tone.

"Graduation Day Ward. You, me and John"

Like a light switch had been flipped, he stopped thrashing and relaxed, his eyes becoming clearer, and his body becoming almost _limp._

"John…"

His voice made Skye visibly flinch, he sounded so … heartbroken.

"Grant"

His head snapped up to meet her gaze.

"Skye? What? Where?"

He stopped, his eyes screwed up in concentration, before he growled out, "Whitehall"

"He's gone. We saw him escaping with Bakshi"

The Captain's voice was clear, cutting straight through his current murderous thoughts, and grounding him once again.

"Come on Ward. Let's get us all some medical attention"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

So only one more chapter left in this particular story, and then my AoS/Arrow sequel.

Anyone else unsatisfied with the AoS mid-season finale, especially compared to Arrow and The Flash. Arrow's in particular gives a whole new meaning to the word cliffhanger.

Please leave a review and let me know what you think.

'Till Next Time,  
>-MarvelMatt<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

* * *

><p><strong>One week later<strong>

* * *

><p>It had been a week since HYDRA's surprise invasion of The Hub 2.0, and it had been two days since Simmons had cleared Ward to resume light duties - duties which had been severely restricted because of his broken arm – and they were the worst two days he had had since re-joining the team.<p>

He and James 'Bucky' Barnes had returned to S.H.I.E.L.D. after being tortured and brainwashed by HYDRA to contrasting receptions.

Bucky was Captain America's best friend, and so, was therefore immediately welcomed back with smiles on everyone's faces and hugs.

Grant Ward was a known HYDRA traitor, and so, was immediately accused of still being a double agent, as well as a mass murderer.

He couldn't bring himself to disagree, he had killed at least thirteen known S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents, not to mention whoever HYDRA had sent him after. He was met with stares of pure hatred from nearly every agent on the base, some of them had even taken to threatening him and shoving him against the walls as he passed them.

He didn't fight back or even defend himself - it wasn't worth it - and he often had other matters to attend to.

Right now, Fitz had asked to see him in his lab.

Since his full mental faculties had been returned to him, his relationship with Simmons had returned to being much closer to what it was before HYDRA, but it was still strained, neither willing to admit to the other that they remembered his underwater confession.

Simmons obvious displeasure towards Ward, and Fitz's obvious sympathy for him was another constraint, so when Ward entered the lab, he was unsure of what he would find.

Crossing the door, he waited as Fitz looked up and Simmons left out the other side, Tripp rolling behind her.

He was young, healthy and strong. But even so, there was a good chance he would never be able to walk again.

A good chance he could, but not guaranteed. Antoine Triplett may never walk again.

"You wanted to see me?"

Looking up from whatever gizmo he was working on, Fitz waved him in, before packing away his tools.

"Yeah, I've got you a welcome back present"

He finished his packing, before heading out the same door as Simmons did, with Ward following dutifully behind.

The door lead to a blank common room that the senior agents had claimed for themselves, and Fitz had spent the last week designing it to accommodate them all.

The SHIELD Blue carpet was a nice touch, as were the couches, the TV, the Xbox and the dining table, but what stood out was the far wall.

Starting on the left and spreading across the entire wall were glass cases, housing mannequins containing each person's recognizable field gear.

Fury's trench coat and pistol were housed in the first one. Followed by Hill's standard issue jumpsuit and her pistol. Coulson's suit and vest, alongside his ICER were next. May, Skye and Bobbi all had their jumpsuits, May and Skye had ICERs, whereas Bobbi had her batons. Tripp and Hunter had their tactical survival suits and rifles. Then there was Captain America's two outfits (traditional and stealth), with his shield in the centre, followed by Romanoff's jumpsuit and her spider-bites. Hawkeye's new purple and blue attire followed, with his bow and quiver stored alongside it.

That left the two covered up cases next to them, but he had burnt his 'Arsenal' the day after the invasion, and then snapped the bow in half.

The other senior members began to pile in as Simmons and Triplett joined them, until Rogers lead Bucky in and they all assembled around the two remaining cases.

Rogers removed the cloth from the first one, to see The Winter Soldier, but instead of black and red with HYDRA logos, it was now dark blue and white, with stars on the shoulders. The sight of Captain America hugging HYDRA's best assassin was a weird one, but he had seen weirder.

Finally Fitz whispered, "I designed both of them", to him before Coulson stepped up and uncovered the last one.

On the last mannequin was a green hood and Kevlar weaved suit, with a large ring – about the size of his fist alongside it. Many of the agents present nodded appreciatively at the design – plain, but striking.

He turned his inquisitive gaze towards the engineer, "Green?"

He looked a bit flustered, "Yes, err … well it's the opposite of red, so I thought …"

"You thought right"

The Scotsman let out a relieved smile, much to the pleasure of the group.

Ward stepped forward, feeling the material of the good and the jacket.

"Is this MY leather jacket?"

Fitz scratched the bank of his neck, before answering in a small voice, "it was".

Shaking his head, he reached over and picked up the large ring, before instinctually squeezing, causing it to expand into a compound bow - a perfectly balanced compound bow.

"How is it? Hawkeye, I mean Agent Barton, told me that it would be difficult to get the draw strength right without you, but I tried to copy the old one as near as I could…"

He didn't hear the rest of his panicked rambling, he was too busy checking the weight and feel of his new toy. His old bow had always felt wrong, but he could never figure out why, but this one felt right, but it needed testing.

Spotting Hunter raising a travel mug, probably of tea, to take a sip, he span around, grabbing an arrow from his quiver and drawing it, before letting it loose, and watching it take the travel mug by the handle and impaling into the wall.

The bow was great.

The look of sheer panic on Hunter's face was greater.

The outright look of speechlessness on everyone's face except for May and Romanoff was priceless.

He nodded his appreciation, a small smirk playing on his lips, "The bow's perfect Fitz", and the engineer's smile stretched from ear to ear.

Laughter emanated from Barton, before it spread to Bobbi and before long everyone was laughing – or at least smiling. Barton's arm slipped around Bobbi's waist, and Coulson did the same with May and before long, the small meeting had turned into a very small party. Fury and Hill cooked while everyone else listened to music, drank the vodka Natasha had whipped out of nowhere and danced before dinner.

Only one thought stayed on Grant Ward's mind. _Soon._

…

He slung the spare clothes he had into his gym bag, before slipping on the watch Fitz had given him all those months ago – HYDRA had removed his when he was captured. Zipping up the bag, he flicked on the TV to the news, where he saw his brother's face smiling at the screen. The headline across the bottom made his blood boil.

'FORMER SENATOR CHRISTIAN WARD ACQUITTED DUE TO THREATENING CIRCUMSTANCES'

He'd pled out that he'd been threatened, and so had his family, which had coerced him to work for HYDRA.

At least his own name had been 'cleared', after Fury had 'leaked' a story that Grant had been S.H.I.E.L.D. all along and that he was never HYDRA.

Grant was free to live a lie and Christian's popularity had risen.

He was now aiming for congress before he took the plunge for presidency.

That thought made him shiver. HYDRA in the White House.

"Leaving so soon?"

He was knocked out of his reverie and span to find Lance Hunter leaning against his doorway.

"I have to"

"I know"

His eyes widened at that last statement, "I know how you feel, when I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. My life as a merc ran through my head and I felt sick, all of the time", he sighed, drawing in a breath, "so I get it. You need to leave. So go, and come back when you're ready"

Hunter picked up the only photo he had on the wall, before crossing the room and handing it to him, "we'll be waiting. And we'll look after your girl"

"She's not my girl … she never was"

"I shouldn't be telling you this, but she's been depressed these last few months without you, when you were sedated, she never left your side. May had to bring food to her. So go, and when you figure things out, she'll be waiting too"

Padding the picture between his socks, he zipped the bag closed before slinging it over his shoulder.

"You should know that Skye figured it out", at Ward's questioning glance he pushed on, "about Bobbi. We've both apologised and I think they're on better terms now. Bobbi and I are the same as always and I think she's dating Hawkeye"

There's a long pause as he soaks this in, before Hunter continues talking, "I want you to know that I respect you", Ward looks at him sharply, a look of disbelief clear on his face, "I didn't always like you, but I have always respected what you can do"

He finishes and offers his hand out. It's a truce, a chance to repair some of the damage he's done, so they clasp hands, albeit briefly, and Hunter turns to leave.

"Wait!"

He stops again, turning around, his eyebrows raised in a silent question, and Ward indicates the plant next to where Hunter's standing.

"Look after Rosa for me?"

Chuckling, the ex-merc picks up the fern on his way out.

…

The S.H.I.E.L.D. Heads meet up for breakfast the following morning, but wait in FitzSimmons' lab at Hunter's request before entering together.

The only unsurprised one in the room is Hunter.

Ward's green hood and suit are missing, along with his quiver and collapsible bow.

In their place lies a single envelope, with _The New Team_ in the centre, written in Ward's perfectly neat handwriting. Being the only one capable of coherent thought it seems, Hunter retrieves the letter and takes his usual seat on the dining table, waiting for the others to join him.

They do so in one mass movement, so he opens the envelope and begins to read aloud to them. By the time he's finished there are some tears, but mostly resignation, they knew he wouldn't stay, but they had hoped for so long that he would.

One day they would meet the real Grant Ward, and based on what they'd already seen, he would be a force to be reckoned with, and one hell of a man.

…

_Dear Skye, Coulson, May, Fitz, Simmons, Triplett, Bobbi, Hunter, Fury, Barton and Romanoff._

_I know there are others there, but they aren't relevant to this at the present time._

_I owe you all an explanation, and there are some parts I don't understand myself yet, but I'm trying to._

_By the time you read this, I will have left and been gone several hours. PLEASE don't try to find me. I don't want to be found, at least, not yet._

_There's a Sat-Phone in the envelope linked up to the one I have, just in case, but I won't be expecting to use it._

_When John found me, I was alone in the world. I was scared of everything, and I was weak._

_It's thanks to him that I'm alive. He trained me, saved me, and yes, it was painful and often demanding, but I exited my crucible the stronger for it, and I will always be thankful for that._

_I've made so many mistakes that I don't know any more. I want to help people, but I can't stay with S.H.I.E.L.D. I once said that they were the same as HYDRA, and I've never seen evidence to prove me wrong – the only difference is that HYDRA was honest about their methods._

_Both develop weapons. Both condone torture and killing. Both believe they know what's best for their operatives._

_You want to stop losing men from defection, then stop lying to them. John Garrett only turned because S.H.I.E.L.D. Wouldn't med-evac him, after telling him they had his back. Sitwell tuned because his nephew was refused an exfil during a high-risk op._

_I joined because John Garrett saved me from a lifetime of hell._

_I tried to do the right thing. To injure instead of kill, to sneak in instead of blowing up the front door._

_To drop a medical pod instead of putting a bullet between their eyes._

_There has been so much that I no longer know if I'm doing what I want, or what I think I want._

_It's time I answered your question Agent Coulson, so this is me, finding out who I am, what I want to do, and what I feel towards everyone. Do I even know what love is?_

_I want to thank you all for the help and training that you've given me over the years. From Nat teaching me espionage and cost at the academy, to Coulson showing me what being a man of ideas was, to Barton giving me a new tool for my quiver._

_Signing off,_

_Grant Douglas Ward  
><em>_**FORMER **__Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D._

**_ P.S._**_ Hunter better take good care of Rosa for me._

…

Pulling over to read the signs, he smiled to himself. If he wanted to start somewhere new, he needed a city. One that he could learn the truth about HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D. in, and one that he hadn't been to before.

Re-adjusting his sunglasses, Grant Ward passed the highway welcoming sign that lead to his future.

'_WELCOME TO STARLING CITY'_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes<strong>

This started out as a kinda Redemption/Aftermath fic that went way off course, but I love how it ended up, and I hope you did to.

The sequel is nearly upon us! Named **Shadows of Starling,** check back in a few days, or maybe tomorrow, it depends on how quickly I iron out the details. It will borrow from Arrow season 1 as well as other places.

And please leave me a review, this is the final chapter here, so ...

'Till Next Time  
>-MarvelMatt<p> 


	11. SEQUEL UP

**SEQUEL NOW UP**

Just to let you all now, the sequel is now up under the Agents of SHIELD/Arrow Crossovers, and is titled **Shadows of Starling.**

Please head there to continue reading, and drop a review for it. They make me feel good.

'Till Next Time  
>-MarvelMatt<p> 


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